For the week of Independence Day celebrations, the rector shares a poem by the first Latina poet laureate of the U.S., Ada Limón (pictured above): “A New National Anthem.” Also note: this week we begin our summer worship schedule (through Labor Day weekend) with Eucharist, hymns and soloists at 10 am Sundays and the service of Meditation & Sacrament at 6 pm. Happy (and safe) Fourth!

This week, we welcome Eric Busby as our guest preacher for Pride Sunday! Eric is a recent graduate of Union Theological Seminary concentrating in theology and the arts. An Alabama-born and raised queer artist and theologian, Eric cut their teeth as a rural social worker in a hospice agency before pivoting to a career in art direction and styling in San Francisco. Then following the 11 am service, as we have for over four decades, we will once again serve cold water (with a twist of lemon!) to Pride marchers as they pass the church on Fifth Avenue. Happy Pride!

Juneteenth is the holiday that commemorates the day news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the enslaved Black people of Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. Since its first anniversary, it has involved church-centered community gatherings. In honor of the 158th anniversary of this important milestone in our country, and the second year its commemoration is a federal holiday, our rector shares reflections and possibilities for action from the Episcopal Public Policy Network.

The rector writes: “Perhaps one result of this week’s toxic smoke is that it helps us understand in our own bodies what it means to live in a heating climate — and what is happening already to other bodies who cannot avoid the effects of burning, be it wildfires or fossil fuels. The air knows no borders, and once again we are reminded of our interdependence, both with our neighbors across the planet and with our planet herself. Our actions can make a real difference to the quality of life for all of us, and those who come after us.”

For Trinity Sunday, the rector shares a prayer from the Iona Community in Scotland: